In the episode, Bruce Lee as Kato faces Lo Sing, portrayed by Mako, however, during the actual fight scene, Bruce Lee's student and friend, Dan Inosanto, doubled for Mako. That's right, 12 years prior to the theatrical release of Lee's Game of Death where Inosanto faces Lee, there was this fight scene back in 1966.

Enjoy the GIFs!

GIFs representing the fight scenes

Even shopowners know some gung fu!

Surprise attack!

Lo Sing discussing Mantis Fist Theory with the boys

Knock, knock! Who's there? Hi-ya!!

The Showdown! Kato vs Lo Sing

Select shorter GIFs

Weapons in full

Weapons split up

Weapons split up

Ging Lai!

Bruce Lee vs Dan Inosanto - full

Bruce Lee vs Dan Inosanto - split up

Bruce Lee vs Dan Inosanto - split up

Bruce Lee vs Dan Inosanto - split up

17 GIFs in all... if the page loads too slowly, please leave a comment, I will split the GIFs into 2 GIF Sets for faster page loads.

What does GIFs have to do with Turkey? ThanksGIFing was a pun of ThanksGIVing ... I know, I know, I'm so punny! LOL @ me!!

Following up this year, I'm going to post the 5 Most Popular GIF Sets as well as picking 5 of My Favorites. It will not be easy. However, I wanted to share first the following quote from Henry Van Dyke:

“Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.”

Happy Thanksgiving to my readers who celebrate! I give thanks to many many things, however, suffice it to say, I give thanks to you readers for helping me do what I do!

I thank you for joining me in my Sojourn of Septillion Steps... THANK YOU!!

Without further ado, here are the most popular GIF Sets of 2014 (well the period of Thanksgiving 2013 through yesterday) ... ENJOY!!

5 Most Popular GIF Sets

5. Counting down the 5 Most Popular GIF sets of 2014 is the nasty leg break in Chris Weidman X Anderson Silva II - UFC 168. The GIF below is the first leg check, it was the 2nd leg check that broke Silva's leg:

2. There is a beauty in watching a good throw executed. Ronda Rousey is an Olympic Bronze Medal Judoka. This was the most viral GIF set I made prior to the Phil Simms knifethrowing set above from a video of a training session she posted to her Facebook:

5. Coming in as my 5th favorite GIF I've made in 2014 is the martial arts legend, Dan Inosanto. He gave a demo at the Smithsonian Institute. It blows my mind how everyday objects can be used in Self-Defense. Here Manong Inosanto uses a "Malong" (similar to a sarong which is worn around the waist, the malong is slung over a shoulder) for a choke:

Check out 3 more GIFs of the Malong and Stickgrappling performed by Manong Inosanto and Guro Joel Clark:

4. In recognition of Dan Henderson's birthday, I made some GIFs of his knockouts. The Knockout is a thing of beauty, just like a well-executed Throw. Check out this KO from Dan's classic fight against Wanderlei Silva from their Pre-UFC PRIDE days:

I came across some sketches by him and posting today in his honor. We know he was multi-talented but as an artist, there were only some simple sketches by him in his notes published as Tao of Jeet Kune Do and Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do: Commentaries on the Martial Way. To my eyes, the most intricate or most polished was the Monk accompanying the poem in the beginning of the Tao of Jeet Kune Do. Check out these 6 intricate/polished sketches!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

48 years ago on this date of November 25 in the year 1966, the 11th episode of the new TV series, The Green Hornet, aired.

Posted this episode to mirror the airdate from 48 years ago. Bruce was 25 years old when this episode aired on Nov 25th of 1966. His birthday would be 2 days later on Nov 27th and he would turn 26. I wonder what was going through his mind? Did the cast and crew of the Green Hornet celebrate his birthday? Brandon was 21 months old at the time and Shannon wasn't born yet. Wonder what was going through his mind?

Enjoy!

Green Hornet episode 11 - The Hunters and the Hunted (25 Nov 1966)

A number of top-level racketeers are murdered, each one with a different, unusual weapon. The Green Hornet is contacted about a known list of targets, but before any more information is divulged, his racketeering informant is also killed. The Green Hornet realizes that the key to this mystery is in that list. With his aid Kato, he sets out to discover where it originated and soon finds himself investigating the elite Explorers Club. It quickly becomes obvious that a group of criminals meeting there are the ones behind the murders; and furthermore, that they intend to ...

Rickson Gracie is a Brazilian 8th degree black and red belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and a retired mixed martial artist. Eddie Bravo is a jiujitsu black belt, music producer, and author. He also hosts his own podcast called Eddie Bravo Radio.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Gotham is a new Fox TV series about a younger James Gordon before he became Commissioner as well as a young Bruce Wayne, after the murder of his parents right in front of his eyes. My son and I have been watching it and so far we love it.

Season 1 Episode 9 featured some boxing Bruce Wayne is learning under his butler/major domo Alfred Pennyworth. I made a set of animated GIFs of the training more for inspiration for my son. I thought I would share it with you all. Bruce and Alfred and training the 1-1-2 (Jab, Jab, Cross).

Enjoy!

The first scene All-in-One GIF (including Selina "Cat" Kyle)

Split up GIFs excluding "Cat"

Never let your guard down!

Ouchy! That hurt!

The Second scene All-in-One GIF

Split up into separate GIFs

Hope you enjoyed this animated GIF set from Gotham! Perhaps use it to inspire your children like I will with my son.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

48 years ago on this date of November 18 in the year 1966, the 10th episode of the new TV series, The Green Hornet, aired.

Posted this episode to mirror the airdate from 48 years ago. This episode is special because it was part of the Green Hornet movie they cobbled together from a few episodes with the bulk of the movie from this episode.

It also featured Bruce's student, Dan Inosanto, doubling for Mako who played Lo Sing in the fight scenes.

Enjoy!

Green Hornet episode 10 - The Preying Mantis (18 Nov 1966)

When a Tong war breaks out in Chinatown, Britt and the paper investigate
and think that it's actually a protection racket moving into Chinatown.
When someone calls him telling him is he wants to know what's going on
he will send someone to a restaurant in Chinatown. When they get there
they find a man knocked out in front of the restaurant and the place
trashed and the owner beaten up. Britt tells Scanlon he has to find the
man, Jimmy Kee cause he knows what's going on. Later Mike discovers that
a known protection man meeting with one of the Tongs. Later a friend of
Jimmy's tells Britt where he will be. They go there and find him.
They're about to bring him to Scanlon when they learn that Jimmy's
friend was kidnapped. They decide to hold Jimmy and go to the boss and
offer Jimmy in exchange for money and the girl. But at the exchange, the
Tong leader reneges and is challenged to fight Kato to the death.

upon hearing that there are no nostrils,
I realize the whole world is my home;
on the path under the Yŏnam mountain in June,
people in fields enjoy the day,
singing the song of good harvest.

Posting some of Kyŏnghŏ's wisdom in recognition of his enlightenment 127 years ago.

Hope this helps you in your Sojourn of Septillion Steps!

The Sayings of Zen Master Kyŏnghŏ

Don't wish for perfect health. In perfect health there is greed and wanting. So an ancient said, "Make good medicine from the suffering of sickness."

Don't hope for a life without problems. An easy life results in a judgmental and lazy mind. So an ancient once said, "Accept the anxieties and difficulties of this life."

Don't expect your practice to be always clear of obstacles. Without hindrances the mind that seeks enlightenment may be burnt out. So an ancient once said, "Attain deliverance in disturbances."

Don't expect to practice hard and not experience the weird. Hard practice that evades the unknown makes for a weak commitment. So an ancient once said, "Help hard practice by befriending every demon."

Don't expect to finish doing something easily. If you happen to acquire something easily the will is made weaker. So an ancient once said, "Try again and again to complete what you are doing."

Make friends but don't expect any benefit for yourself. Friendship only for oneself harms trust. So an ancient once said, "Have an enduring friendship with purity in heart."'

Don't expect others to follow your direction. When it happens that others go along with you, it results in pride. So an ancient once said, "Use your will to bring peace between people."

Expect no reward for an act of charity. Expecting something in return leads to a scheming mind. So an ancient once said, "Throw false spirituality away like a pair of old shoes."

Don't seek profit over and above what your work is worth. Acquiring false profit makes a fool (of oneself). So an ancient once said, "Be rich in honesty."

Don't try to make clarity of mind with severe practice. Every mind comes to hate severity, and where is clarity in mortification? So an ancient once said, "Clear a passageway through severe practice."

Be equal to every hindrance. Buddha attained Supreme Enlightenment without hindrance. Seekers after truth are schooled in adversity. When they are confronted by a hindrance, they can't be overcome. Then, cutting free, their treasure is great.

Friday, November 14, 2014

Yesterday Nov 13th Thursday, the 3rd Episode of the 3rd Season of CBS-TV's "Elementary" aired. The episode was titled: "Just a Regular Irregular."

Elementary is an updated version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes. It is set in modern day New York City. Jonny Lee Miller is fabulous as Sherlock and Lucy Liu plays Dr. Joan Watson, an updated version of Dr. John Watson.

Football's New York Giants Phil Simms appears as himself. Sherlock is consulting him on an old circus case involving knifethrowing. Holmes to Watson said of Simms, "Phillip here is arguably the greatest knifethrower in the world." Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson thinks Jonny Lee Miller's Holmes is joking. Holmes asked "Phillip" to demonstrate.

Did Phil Simms really throw those knives? Is he really the World's Greatest Knifethrower? You decide :)

Site Under Construction

Slowly but surely I've implemented changes to the site's look and functionality. I'm sure you have noticed the changes.Ecstatic that I've finally been able to successfully update my site closer more in line with my vision of it.

Not sure if it will be the final look of the site or not, but the Sojourn of Septillion Steps with respect to the site's look has already taken quite a few steps beyond the first!

I will still be endeavoring to put up information I think will benefit your martial arts training as well as your self-defense. I sincerely thank you for visiting/reading!